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Worldwide Escorted Bus Tours & River Cruises
Dixieland & Rhythms W/ New Orleans Jazz Fest
The beautiful South comes alive on this wonderful vacation. Start your trip in Chicago and spend leisure time getting to know the city. See the famous Chicago landmarks on an included sightseeing tour before heading south to St. Louis, Missouri, known as the “Gateway to the West.” On your St. Louis tour, take a trip to the top of the towering Gateway Arch. Then cross the Mississippi River to Nashville, Tennessee, home of country music! A guided tour shows you Nashville’s most famous sights, including the recording studios on Music Row, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and legendary RCA Studio B, once the recoding home of Elvis Presley. No vacation to Nashville is complete without a visit to the Grand Ole Opry, and you have reserved seats for a Grand Ole Opry show! Travel to Memphis, “Home of the Blues, ” a city with a distinct Southern flair. Enjoy an orientation tour and visit Graceland, Elvis Presley’s grand estate. Next, hop on the AMTRAK City of New Orleans train to Louisiana. Pass cotton fields and catfish ponds to the heart of Cajun country. Spot alligators on the waterways of Atchafalaya Basin before crossing bayou country back into New Orleans. Spend three nights in New Orleans and get acquainted with the city on your tour and leisure time. You also receive a pass and roundtrip transportation to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. What a great way to end your musical vacation to the charming South.Join us on one of these special departures and be part of the action at the 42nd Annual Jazz & Heritage Festival. In addition to the great music, your tastebuds will enjoy classic New Orleans staples, including Creole, Cajun, and international cuisine. Your Jazz Fest package includes two extra nights in New Orleans, a city sightseeing tour, and a 1-day pass with roundtrip transportation to the Jazz Fest grounds.
Highlights:
Mississippi River, Cajun Country, Louisiana Bayou Country.
Itinerary:
| Day #1 |
CHICAGO. Welcome to the “Windy City.” Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions. |
| Day #2 |
CHICAGO. Start the day with an included sightseeing tour and see all the landmarks of this exciting city. This afternoon is at leisure. Ride the elevator to the top of Sears Tower, stroll in Grant Park along the waterfront, or take an optional cruise on Lake Michigan. This evening you might enjoy dinner on the Navy Pier with its collection of shops and restaurants. |
| Day #3 |
CHICAGO–ST. LOUIS. Travel across the fertile Illinois farmlands today to St. Louis, the “Gateway to the West.” City sightseeing includes a trip to the top of the towering GATEWAY ARCH, which commemorates the city’s key role in westward expansion. Be sure to visit the museum under the arch, celebrating the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark 200 hundred years ago. |
| Day #4 |
ST. LOUIS–NASHVILLE. Start today’s journey by re-crossing the Mississippi River and rolling southeast to Paducah on the Ohio River. Late-afternoon arrival in Nashville. |
| Day #5 |
NASHVILLE. Start the day with a sightseeing tour of Nashville’s famous landmarks and the recording studios of Music Row. We’ll tour historic RCA STUDIO B, the cradle of the “Nashville Sound” in the 1960s. Hitmakers in Studio B include such stars as Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, Willie Nelson, and the Everly Brothers. Afterward, visit the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME with its glittering costumes, rare instruments, and Elvis Presley’s “solid-gold” Cadillac! Tonight you have reserved seats for a show at the world-famous GRAND OLE OPRY, a mecca for country musicians. (CB) |
| Day #6 |
NASHVILLE–MEMPHIS. Cross Tennessee today to Memphis, the “Home of the Blues” and a city with a distinct Southern flavor. Enjoy an orientation tour on arrival. Join the optional excursion that visits famous Sun Studio, where rock ‘n’ roll was first recorded, followed by dinner at a local Memphis restaurant. (CB) |
| Day #7 |
MEMPHIS. GRACELAND VISIT. A good portion of the day is devoted to GRACELAND, Elvis Presley’s beautiful estate. Your platinum audio tour focuses on the splendid garden, private plane, and the opulent 15,000-square-foot mansion. Return to Memphis mid-afternoon. Tonight, you may want to visit a blues club on famous Beale Street. |
| Day #8 |
MEMPHIS–AMTRAK CITY OF NEW ORLEANS TRAIN–LAFAYETTE. Providing the locomotion for today’s journey through the state of Mississippi and into the Mississippi River delta is the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, the famous train of story and song. Pass cotton fields and catfish ponds as the train enters Louisiana. In Hammond, leave the train and board a motorcoach for the short drive into the heart of Cajun Country to Lafayette, first settled by French-Acadian farmers expelled from Nova Scotia by the British in the 1700s. |
| Day #9 |
LAFAYETTE–NEW ORLEANS. On to St. Martinville to see the famous oak tree from Longfellow’s poem, Evangeline. Next, board your boat for a CRUISE through the winding, swampy waterways of the Atchafalaya Basin. If you are lucky, you might spot alligators basking on the banks. Then, cross Bayou Country into New Orleans. |
| Day #10 |
NEW ORLEANS. Enjoy a full-morning tour dedicated to the sights and sounds of New Orleans and the French Quarter landmarks of St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. Next, visit one of the city’s unique above-ground cemeteries followed by a drive past the impressive mansions and clanging streetcars of St. Charles Avenue. The rest of your stay is at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest several optional outings as well as the best places to shop and dine. |
| Day #11 |
NEW ORLEANS. Enjoy a full-morning tour dedicated to the sights and sounds of New Orleans and the French Quarter landmarks of St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. Next, visit one of the city’s unique above-ground cemeteries followed by a drive past the impressive mansions and clanging streetcars of St. Charles Avenue. The rest of your stay is at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest several optional outings as well as the best places to shop and dine. |
| Day #12 |
NEW ORLEANS. The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers to the New Orleans International Airport are included. |
Hotels:
Chicago Essex Inn (T); St. Louis Millennium Hotel (F); Nashville Holiday Inn Express (ST); Memphis Crowne Plaza (MF); Lafayette Holiday Inn (MF); New Orleans Holiday Inn French Quarter (MF)
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Pricing Options:
| Depart US | Land-Only |
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| 04/20/2011 | $1,759.00 | | 04/27/2011 | $1,759.00 |
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©2005 Flamingo Travel Group
All Rights Reserved
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